ALEX RIDER
by sl33pwalker
Summary: Set after SCORPIA RISING. This would be my version of what happens after. xD The book was too good  and sad.  Rated T just to be safe.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE: Shrouded in Doubt.**

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><p>SABINA SNEAKED GLANCES at Alex whenever she thought he wasn't looking. He was sitting across from her, staring at the peas on his plate. His mashed potatoes, peas and steak lay untouched. Sabina sighed internally-Alex had been acting fine for the last two weeks, but that was it; he was only <em>acting<em>. Sabina had seen him, once or twice, when he had thought no one was around. He'd looked so… _dejected._ She knew Jack's death was hard on Alex, however she didn't know what to say. And Alex didn't seem to want to discuss Jack.

Sabina glanced up and realized everyone was staring at her. "Did I miss something?" She raised an eyebrow at Alex.

"Sabina," her mother shook her head, "Your father just asked you what was wrong."

"'What was wrong?'" Sabina repeated, still confused. Sabina noticed Alex smiling faintly out of the corner of her eye.

"You sighed," her father supplied, as he reached for some sauce. "Is everything all right with school?"

"Oh? Yes, everything's fine!" Sabina rolled her eyes. "I was just thinking about… the pile of homework I have." Sabina was surprised at how easily she'd lied. But the last thing she wanted was for Alex to feel like he was under surveillance. "Speaking of work, of any kind, how's your new book going, dad?" Her father had ideas for another book, but Sabina hadn't been listening too closely when he'd been talking about it earlier. She wasn't actually listening now; her gaze kept flitting to Alex. He still hadn't eaten very much. Sabina gently nudged Alex's foot from under the table. Meeting his curious gaze, she mouthed the words _are you all right? _Alex nodded, deliberately taking a big bite of his food. Then Sabina's mother asked her something, and she was distracted momentarily.

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><p>Alex stuffed some food into his mouth. Despite the fact that his dinner consisted mostly of vegetables, it tasted good. Still, Alex found himself without much appetite. Sabina had been glancing at him all night and although she had been trying to hide it, Alex had found her attempts fairly obvious. He was touched, he supposed, that she cared so much, but he missed the old Sabina, the one who didn't tip-toe around him.<p>

After dinner he and Sabina went out onto the balcony. The fresh air was a nice change after being inside.

"So…" Sabina gently elbowed him. "You're starting my school tomorrow." Alex nodded. "Nervous? Excited?" Sabina dropped her voice so that it imitated what a creepy old lady would sound like. "_Scared_?"

Alex laughed; his laugh held an edge. "After everything I've done?" But, truthfully, he was nervous.

"It'll be fun," Sabina assured him. "Well, not the learning, or the homework, but the part where we get to hang out will be great. And this time, I hope you'll stay out of trouble." She made a face. "Although, that's not the way it works, is it? Trouble finds you."

"More like MI6 finds me," Alex muttered. But that was behind him now-_out of country, out of mind_.

"So no more spy stuff? Promise Alex?" Sabina asked quietly.

Alex met her gaze. He was startled; Sabina looked really concerned. "Yeah, Sab, I promise." After Jack… he had no plans to ever go back into _that _world. "If you promise to stop worrying about making me sad, or worrying about how much I eat, and just act like yourself again," he added slyly.

Sabina dropped her jaw in shock. _"I do not-"_

"You're a terrible liar Sab," Alex grinned. The grin only felt slightly out of place on his face.

"OK, fine, I'll stop suffocating you." Alex watched as Sabina looked away. Her cheeks were a little pink-was she blushing? "I just don't want to see you that sad again."

"I'll be fine," Alex replied automatically. He'd been repeating those three words constantly the last few weeks. "And you're not suffocating me. It's nice you care so much."

Sabina scoffed. "Who says I care?" she teased. Alex laughed again, for the first time feeling he was with the old Sabina again, the _real_ Sabina.

This time, Alex was certain he would never be return to the spy life again. He was going to be normal now, for good. But a part of him-a small part-wondered if he would ever truly be free. Too much had happened; he had lost too much.

Although Alex was determined to be free, a part of him, one tiny sliver, wondered how long it would be before he was dragged, lied to or blackmailed back into the world of espionage.


	2. Bright Future

_2 months later..._

**CHAPTER ONE**

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><p><span>Bright Future<span>

Alex glanced over at Sabina, who was sitting across from him. She was talking to one of her many friends who constantly stopped by their table to chat. Alex marveled, not for the first time, at just how quickly he'd settled in. At first he'd been the new kid, but at least he hadn't been "Alex Rider-the boy who disappears every other month". The teacher's hadn't made any jokes about him having the potential to excel at their subjects-if only he'd stay in school long enough. And, surprisingly, the pain that seeped into him every time he thought of Jack had gone from being indescribable to bearable. Barely, but still, Alex thought some improvement was better than none…

He remembered calling Jack's parents all those weeks ago, planning on telling them the news… He'd been unable to say anything at first, but he'd felt like he should say _something_, even though Mrs Jones had informed him that she'd let already Jack's family know of their loss. Alex had stood there, the phone clutched in his hand, unable to speak. He remembered how Jack's mother kept asking who was calling. She'd kept repeating_ hello?_ again and again and again-

_No_. Alex firmly pushed the strained memories out of his mind. He didn't want to think about that.

"Alex? Are you listening?" _No. I obviously have something on my mind_, Alex thought, but didn't say. He glanced at his side, where his friend Jade sat, staring at him expectantly. He'd made a few friends at SFH-Sans Francisco High-and while he supposed he ought to be pleased he'd settled in so quickly, he found it hard to keep up with all of them. "Wait, don't answer that; your eyes have that faraway look in them." Jade rolled her eyes, flicking some dark hair out of them. "You know, you seem to have a bad habit of daydreaming when people talk to you. What exactly were you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Alex shrugged. Of all his friends, Jade always unnerved him. She seemed to notice his habits, and after spending so much time working for MI6, it seemed he was getting slightly paranoid.

Sabina turned around, her friend gone, just as Matt and Dylan joined the table, their lunch trays laden with food. "Alex, Sabina, Jade," Dylan chuckled, by way of greeting, "you'll never guess what Matt did in class-" Dylan launched into a story that Alex had no doubt was exaggerated. He smiled faintly when Dylan got to the part about Matt having to write a love poem as part of his punishment for misbehaving.

"Man, Miss Ruden _sucks_," Matt grumbled, then added another word to his sentence. Dylan laughed at his friend's obvious frustration. "Dylan's not kidding," Matt sighed, "She's even gonna make me read it to the class. I mean, _who does that? _She's bent on teaching English, even when it's obvious no one could care less."

"Err, maybe because she's an english teacher?" Sabina muttered sarcastically, but Matt didn't hear. Alex grinned at Matt's obliviousness to Sabina's obvious dislike of him. Sabina didn't like Matt at all-the only reason he even hung out with them was because he was Alex's friend. But even though Sabina had once announced to Alex that listening to Matt was like gouging her eyes out with nails, she wasn't ever mean to Matt outright. This was partly because she respected Alex's choice in friends. Mainly, though, it was due to the fact that Sabina was as good as his girlfriend. Everyone thought that, and although it wasn't official-he and Sabina certainly hadn't discussed their relationship-Alex had to admit that the thought brought a smile to his face.

The bell rang, indicating the end of lunch. Matt grumbled some more about being held in too long by his teacher.

Dylan, Matt and Jade headed off together, they had the next two classes together. Sabina hung back; Alex waited for her. As she grabbed her bag, Sabina glared in Matt's direction. "Alex," she groaned, "_Why _do you hang out with him?"

"We're friends," Alex shrugged.

"But he's so slow-I'm sorry Alex, but he is-'why does the English teacher want to teach English?' It's a real mystery to me." Sabina narrowed her eyes. "Did you hang out with people like him in your old school?" she added, her tone curious.

"I take it by 'people like Matt' you mean 'trouble makers'?" Alex thought of Tom Harris, his friend from Brooklyn... He changed the subject. "Sabina, did you do your maths homework?" It was a lame attempt at a new conversation, but Sabina took the hint.

"No!" She groaned again. "I wonder if Mr Waddington will mind…"

Alex grinned. By some lucky stroke, he had two classes with Sabina, but by some unlucky stroke, they had the strictest maths teacher. "Yeah, that'll be the day," Alex said.

~**o**~

Jade was getting books from her locker for her next class, Matt and Dylan bickering about some playstation game, when her phone rang. She excused herself once she saw who was calling.

Stepping into a deserted corridor, behind the trash cans, Jade answered her phone. "Hello? What's up?"

"I've got bad news," the voice on the other end was apologetic, "I can't make it home tonight."

Jade felt like a deflated balloon. "Busy again, huh?" she mumbled. "You've been gone the past month. But I suppose some important work has come up?"

"Something like that." There was a few second's silence. She knew the person calling her so well, even over the phone, that she could tell he was hesitating. After all, this was a voice she'd heard her whole life. "About that boy-Alex Rider-has he… I mean to say, is he still at school?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "I know you've said he's some sort of super spy, but I've yet to see that side of him. If anything he seems a little sad. But then again, if what you said about his housekeeper is true…"

"Well, as long as the CIA haven't asked him for any help-"

"If they have, he's doing a remarkable job of being in two places at the same time," Jade said, a warning in her tone. "What are you doing this time?"

"It can't be discussed over the phone Jade." Her enquiry was immediately brushed aside. "I'm already risking a lot divulging this much information to you-"

"What information?" Jade was exasperated. "All you've said is that you're planning something? That isn't a heck of a lot to go on."

"This will be the last time," he assured her firmly. "It's just such a good opportunity-I can't possibly pass it up."

"What is _it_?"

"Jade, we've talked about this. I'm not getting you involved."

Jade sighed. "You know what? That's fine. Because I'm tired of this. One day I plan to go to college, to get out of Sans Francisco and do something _good _with my life."

"Doing good isn't as easy as it seems. I promise, this is the last time-"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what you promised last time," Jade hissed, before ending the call.

She wasn't in the mood to talk to her father anymore. Her father, who was hardly home, who was always busy trying to take over the world, or on some other ludicrous plot. And now, apparently, he had a new scheme. She's wasn't six anymore. Jade knew her father was a criminal. In fact, she'd known for quite a while. But it hadn't gotten any easier to deal with over the years, and she was nowhere near ready to accept it.

Matt and Dylan were waiting for her when she returned to her locker. "Hey, everything all right?" Dylan asked, catching sight of her expression.

Jade looked away, afraid of giving anything away. "Yeah," she lied, "Everything's fine."

~**o**~

Caleb stared at the phone in his hand. Jade, his daughter, had just hung up on him.

She didn't understand, Caleb thought, and that was the truly sad part. But it was all right, with time, she'd come to see things his way. This was a fabulous opportunity; this plan would work. He'd have to sacrifice a few things; a little money, a lot of time. But he'd reap the rewards-potentially millions of dollars and perhaps even the downfall of the CIA. If he played his cards right, he might even gain the allegiance of Alex Rider… He'd have to lie through his tongue to trick that boy, but lying was something that came naturally to him.

Caleb couldn't help but smile as he thought of the bright future that lay ahead.


	3. Central Intelligence Agency

**CHAPTER TWO**

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><p><span>Central Intelligence Agency<span>

LOGAN CLERK WAS BUSY typing information into the Central Intelligence computers. He was typing up a report about the observations on a lowly criminal. Mark Davis was a suspected drug smuggler, but he worked as a bus driver. The CIA were interested in where his workshop was based, and how he had found the time to have started a drug dealership.

As far as jobs went, Logan knew that for his talents, he had an easy project. Typing—that was all the job consisted of. Typing, and filing reports away. The only reason he was working on an assignment below his skill level was because he'd attracted too much attention…

Logan noticed he was sweating. That was suspicious behaviour for a CIA agent who had nothing to fear. He tried his best to look inconspicuous and blend in. In just an hour he would be meeting with his "partner in crime", Caleb Goterel. But tricking the CIA… it was going to be insanely hard. Thinking back to all the criminals Logan had put behind bars, he wondered what would happen if _he _was caught.

Caleb's philosophy was simple; _we've been in the CIA so we know how they operate. It'll be easy enough to slip through their fingers, like water slipping through cupped hands. _Logan had heard it enough times. Still, he frowned he as got to work typing the next line of the report.

As he glanced back at the screen, to check there were no spelling errors, Logan froze. He knew the security cameras would be trained on him, and in a room somewhere, Joe Byrne would be watching. Gulping, he stared at the scrambled message he'd subconsciously typed up.

"The individual in question was seen _I hope they aren't_ engaging in conversation _onto _with two suspicious men (on further investigation, one of them was found _me_ with a clear connection to a previous drug smuggling operation) _play it cool_."

It wasn't blatantly obvious, and already Logan had deleted the incriminating words… _I hope they aren't onto me. Play it cool._ Logan pushed the thoughts out of his mind. He knew that his loyalty had been under question lately. Joe Byrne had been watching him like a hawk. No doubt the computer had already saved a copy of the original paragraph—that was just the way CIA worked.

"Logan." Logan jumped at the sound of his name. He turned around, expecting to be placed under arrest. When he saw it was his old secretary—from before he'd been demoted—Logan visibly relaxed. He was loosing it.

He knew that CIA didn't have concrete evidence against him. The worst Byrne could do was fire him. Although everything was going as planned, Logan's heart was still racing. _What if…?_

"Logan," his secretary, a young lady called Joanna, smiled at him. "Are you all right? Ever since you've been sent to work down here, you've been a bit jumpy."

"I'm fine." Logan couldn't act too out of character. "What are you doing down here?"

"Mr. Byrne wants to talk to you." Joanna beamed, apparently thinking this was a good thing. "He'd looked quite serious. Maybe he'll be offering you your proper job back!"

Logan grinned, as if he agreed with Joanna. Internally, her words kept repeating inside his head. _He'd looked quite serious…Joe Byrne had looked quite serious. _It was nothing new for Byrne to look solemn, but Logan knew that the meeting, arranged so abruptly after Logan's slip-up, was no coincidence.

He took a deep breath. The time had come to face the music.

~o~

The bell rang, indicating the end of another school day. Alex was walking towards the school gate with Dylan. "So Sabina's not joining us?" Dylan asked. He lived on the same street as Alex.

"No. She's got some girl's birthday party to attend after school," Alex replied. "She left with Kerry."

"Oh, right, it's Kerry's birthday," Dylan remembered. "So we're not waiting for anyone today?"

"We're free to go home," Alex agreed. He stopped abruptly, realizing something.

"What's up?" Dylan stopped too.

"I need to go to my locker," Alex shrugged, a sheepish expression on his face. "I forgot my phone. I suppose we're not free to go home just yet. Meet you by the gate?"

Dylan nodded. "Yeah, sure. Hurry."

Alex quickly walked back towards the corridors.

Classroom doors and lockers lined the walls as he made his way to his own locker. It was just his luck that it was all the way on the other side of the school. The hallway was empty; all the other kids had already left. As Alex neared an alcove in the locker-wall, hidden partially by a trash can, he slowed down. Someone was in the alcove, talking on a phone.

He wasn't sure exactly why—maybe he'd been a spy one too many times—but the urgent tone of person made him stop and listen. A was girl speaking, her voice familiar…

"You've got to be kidding me!" She sounded upset. Alex wondered if this was just an angry phone call to her ex-boyfriend or something like that. He was about to leave when she said the oddest thing. "Dad, listen to me. I am not asking Alex Rider to—" Alex froze. He recognized the voice. It was Jade.

Jade suddenly walked out of the alcove, a mobile clutched to her ear. She was fuming. "No, that's a stupid plan! Just because you're—" Jade broke off, catching sight of him. "Alex." She stared at him, frozen, eyes wide.

Alex didn't know what to say. He heard some buzzing come from the phone, and assumed Jade's father wasn't done speaking. But Jade didn't seem to care; she looked too shocked. "Were you eavesdropping on me?" she asked slowly, astounded.

"No—"

"Did you hear any of that?" she demanded. "Because that was, err, private!"

"I was just on my way to my locker," Alex explained. "I'd left my phone behind," he added, trying to sound convincing. It wasn't as if he was lying.

"Okay," Jade looked away. "That's… well, yeah."

"Okay," Alex said, feeling uncomfortable. He continued walking down the corridor.

He found his locker and grabbed his phone. Alex took the back exit out of the building. He'd have to walk around the building to get to the front gate, which would take a while, but he didn't want to run into Jade. She probably thought he was weird for listening in to her conversation. But what was weirder was that _her_ _father_ had plans for him. Alex didn't know what to make of that.

Alex passed the school's back gate, which was open and empty, except for a man walking his dog across the path. Dylan would probably be wondering what was taking him so long.

A shrill bark reached his ears. Alex turned around and saw the man had lost control of his dog. The dog was now coming straight for _him_. Alex backed up, his back hitting the window of a classroom. The dog looked like a Rottweiler. Alex glanced around wildly, trying to find something that would help him get away. Running seemed like a stupid idea; the dog would chase him for sure.

The dog stopped in front of him. It was snarling furiously, but other than that, it remained still. Alex knew, instinctively, that if he tried to move, the dog would attack.

The Rottweiler's owner, a man dressed in jeans and a blue t-shirt, ran up to them. Alex expected him to put the dog on a leash and take him away. Instead, the man praised the dog. "Ah, good job Bon Bon."

"Bon Bon?" Alex raised his eyebrows. "That explains why the dog's so angry."

The man had dark hair and light eyes. He scowled. "I wouldn't have thought you were in any position to make jokes. I am the one who'll be calling him off, you know."

"Somehow, I doubt you'll do that." Alex had a bad feeling he knew how this was going to go.

"Eh? And what makes you think I won't call him off?" The man looked amused.

"Well, you kind of gave your intentions away when you said, 'good job, Bon Bon'." Alex resisted the urge to roll his eyes. _Bon Bon_ was eyeing him menacingly.

"Believe what you will, kid. You've obviously been a spy too long. Bon Bon, back," the man ordered sharply. The dog stepped behind his owner. "Now, quietly follow me," the man turned to Alex, his voice low. "We've already wasted enough time talking. We can't let anyone see us. Here's what we'll do," he glanced around, checking no one was watching, "I'll go first. You follow after me. Bon Bon will follow you. Oh, and for your own good, don't try to run. Bon Bon isn't the most, um, well-behaved dog we have."

_We?_ Alex wondered. He guessed the man was an enemy; after all, he knew Alex was a spy. Alex weighed up his chances of escaping. He supposed he'd have to follow and wait for opportunity to present itself.

The man seemed to read his mind. "Boy, don't do anything stupid. I'm not trying to kidnap you. I'm from…" he hesitated. "The CIA."

Alex raised his eyebrows again, but nodded. He followed the man out of the school and into a van. Bon Bon was put into the back, where he curled up on a blanket and starting chewing a chicken toy.

Once Alex was seated in the front, the CIA agent turned around. He held his hand out. "Andy Smith," he shook Alex's hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Alex Rider."

Alex cut to the chase. "If you work for the CIA—" Andy snorted at the word 'if' "—why get the dog to try scare me first?"

"Bon Bon wasn't meant to scare you," Andy said, reversing the van out of the parking space. "He's just a dog I'm meant to be training, as part of my next mission. He just got a bit carried away. At least Bon Bon is a good tracker," Andy added brightly.

"The best," Alex muttered sarcastically.

"Look, sorry about that. I'm under orders to take you to HQ without alerting all your school chums."

When they arrived at the CIA building, Alex was quickly ushered inside Joe Bryne's office. Alex couldn't believe that the man was actually going to try convince him to go on another mission, after everything that had happened…

Alex had already made up his mind. Whatever Joe said, he wasn't interested.

Joe Byrne arrived a few seconds after Alex. He apologised for being late and quickly settled into his chair. His office looked the same, as it always did, no matter where in the world they were.

"So, Alex," Joe placed a few files on his desk. "Sorry about, err, Bon Bon. Andy tells me the dog got a little excited, to say the least. I assure you, I never meant to make it seem like I was forcing you to come see us."

"Of course not," Alex said, his tone sarcastic. He sighed. "So why am I here?"

"First of all, believe me when I say I didn't want you to get involved. Especially in light of your last mission. But it seems I don't have much choice; you'd be prefect for the job."

"I've heard that a lot," Alex reminded Byrne.

Byrne looked a little apologetic as he continued. "You see, during the past few weeks an agent of ours—a guy named Logan Clerk—was behaving oddly. We'd found evidence of him having lunch with an ex-CIA agent, one that was kicked out of this service because he had attempted to take it down from the inside. Needless to say, he'd failed, and all in all it had been an amateur attempt. However, we couldn't let the meeting between him and Logan slide.

"After we cranked up the pressure, Logan cracked. He confessed everything; their plan and how it was meant to work. The only problem is that Logan isn't the main brain behind the plan. He only knows certain parts of it; basically, only what he was required to do."

"And you believe he's telling you the whole truth?" Alex asked sceptically.

"Of course not. We're still investigating his every move," Byrne assured. "Now, the ex-agent he's working with is the mastermind behind the plan. Logan claims to only know what their long-term goal was: to steal all our funding from us, and to sabotage our computers, files and systems. A setback like that, if it happened, could possibly destroy us. It's unlikely that something like that could happen, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"How does this concern me?"

"Alex, the man Logan is working with is called Caleb Goterel." Joe Byrne opened a file and drew out some sheets from it. "It says it in here somewhere… ah, here we go." Joe passed a sheet of paper to Alex. Alex stared at it. His eyes widened. "His daughter is Jade Goterel."

"Oh." Alex met Byrne's gaze. "I actually overheard her talking to her father, just before Andy found me. Apparently her dad had some plans, to do with—"

"Yes?" Byrne was trying to hide his eagerness.

"Me." Alex frowned. "But if he's trying to take down the CIA, what do I have to do with anything?"

"You?" Byrne looked thoughtful. "Perhaps he knew we would ask for your assistance… Listen Alex, like I said, we wouldn't normally ask you to help. You're just in the right place."

"You mean America?" Alex said, his eyes hard.

Byrne pretended he hadn't heard. "Look, all we require is for you to keep an eye on Jade. Logan told us that Caleb likes to check in on his daughter. If you ever see him near the school, or if Jade tells you she plans to meet her father after school one day—"

"We're not very close," Alex said.

"No, but you could be." Joe sighed at Alex's uninterested expression. "You both attend Sans Francisco High School. It's the perfect set-up. We need you to become close to her, close enough that she'll tell you about her father. After all, teenagers need someone to talk to. Her mother is dead, so she's probably bursting to talk about her problems."

Alex felt sorry for Jade, but he wasn't convinced. "Are you seriously asking me to spy on someone? Again?"

"No. Yes. Sort of." Joe looked guilty. "It's not as if you have to. We're already placing an agent in your school, undercover as a new teacher. I believe you might enjoy working with—"

Alex shook his head.

"No?"

"No," Alex repeated firmly. "I'm not going to spy for you."

Joe Byrne leaned forward. "I'm not asking you to say yes or no. Think about it. Either way, I figure you should know what's going on. You might have been confused had I not told you about all this. After all, this way, when you get involved—"

"What makes you think I'll decide to get involved?" Alex said angrily. He'd had enough. All these secret services assumed they knew him so well, but what did they really know? Nothing! Alex stood up. "Goodbye, Mr. Byrne."

Joe seemed unperturbed by Alex's tone. "Alex, if you really want to leave I'll get my secretary to show you the way out. But in case you change your mind…"

"Why?" Alex said coldly. He brushed some hair away from his forehead, glaring at Byrne. "Why is it that every time something goes wrong, both you and MI6 never hesitate to ask me? Sure, you act apologetic, but if you were really so sorry you had to get me involved, why ask in the first place?"

"Because you're too much of a spy." More than anything, Joe Byrne sounded sad. "Admit it, Alex. You've got a knack for spying. If I hadn't asked for your assistance, you would have ended up getting involved anyway. At least this way, you know whose side to be on."

"Do I?" Alex retorted.

It was only as he began heading out that Alex realized he'd forgotten all about Dylan.


	4. Just a Flippin' Schoolboy

**[Note]_ Just wanted to say thanks to the people who've reviewed or who've put this story as their favourite, or on story alert etc. So... thanks! (M_****_**y bad if 'flipin''s not a word).**_**

**CHAPTER THREE**

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><p><span>Just a flippin' schoolboy <span>

SURPRISINGLY, THE NEXT MORNING, ALEX woke up early. He'd gotten home late last night; he'd taken a walk to clear his head. After the fiasco in the CIA building, he'd had too much to think about. In the end, Alex had decided he was happy with the decision he'd made. He'd finally done it—or, more specifically, _said_ it. No. The one word that could've made all the difference on his last mission… Shaking his head, Alex yawned and stretched, getting out of bed.

Drowsily, he looked around his room. It had white walls and a blue carpet, and glass doors that led to a small stone deck. His clothes lay scattered near his wardrobe, but other than that, the room wasn't very messy. A wooden desk stood in the corner, carrying a computer. There weren't any posters on the walls, though Alex had been meaning to put some up for quite a while. All in all, it was nice, but plain. Very plain.

Suddenly, Alex didn't feel comfortable in his room. There was hardly anything in the room that made it seem as if it was used.

Alex rummaged through his wardrobe, not caring that it was a school day or that he was going to run late.

He grabbed three posters and some blue tack and got to work. He was done in five minutes. _There_, he thought, satisfied, admiring his handiwork. The posters were of the Chelsea football team. _Now the room looks lived in_.

Alex glanced at the clock above the computer. He'd have to hurry if he wanted to get to school on time. Alex quickly grabbed some clothes and ran to the bathroom.

He showered and came out, dressed and ready for school. In his hurry to get downstairs, he bumped into Sabina. She stumbled backwards. Alex straightened up, steadying her.

Sabina rolled her eyes. "Run with your eyes open Alex."

"I was in a rush," Alex said sheepishly. "Sorry."

Sabina met his gaze for a minute, before offering him a package she'd been carrying. "This came for you," she said. "Mum found it in the mailbox."

Alex took it from her. "Who's it from?"

"I don't know. There's no return address. Why, do you think it's a bomb or something?" she added slyly.

"You never know," Alex shrugged, but he wasn't amused. He thought of Jack... "I'll just go put it in my room."

"Alex," Sabina seemed to realize her mistake, "I'm sorry. I-"

"It's fine."

"I'm sorry. That was insensitive." Alex kept silent; he didn't really want to talk about it. "So, um, Dad's gone to work early, for a last minute meeting. We'll have to walk to school today."

"Right, well, I'll be a minute," Alex said. He vaguely recalled Sabina's dad offering them a lift to school last night.

Alex went to his room and dumped the package on his bed. It was roughly the size of a shoebox and wrapped in brown paper. Alex had to admit, he _was_ curious. He hesitated, and then opened it. He wondered who would've sent it to him.

Underneath the brown paper _was_ a shoebox. Alex opened it. Whatever he'd been expecting, he was immediately disappointed. Gadgets. He knew what they were even before reading the note placed on top of them.

_Alex, I had Mr. Smithers design these gadgets for you. I'll admit, he had to check__ if it was all right with Mrs Jones first, who was unhappy with the whole arrangement, but they both decided it was better for you to be prepared. I wouldn't normally go to such lengths for an agent that hasn't even accepted the mission, but I really would like your co-operation on this. I know you said no, but this is just in case you change your mind… _

_P.s~ Mr. Smithers is on holiday in America right now—he's staying in New York. He says "hi"._

—_J__. Byrne_

Underneath the note rested an ipod, some headphones, a rubber, a key and a notebook. They looked like pretty ordinary items, but Alex had no doubt they would be useful. Each one had a note attached, explaining how the gadget worked. Alex sighed. No meant no—why couldn't the CIA understand that?

Alex shut the lid of the box and stashed it in his closet. He'd deal with all that later.

Downstairs, Sabina was drinking some juice, waiting for him. "Ready to go?" she asked.

Alex nodded. "Sure."

~o~

On the way to school, Alex was quiet. He was thinking about the CIA, and Jade, of all people. Alex wondered how long she had known about her father's criminal behaviour. Joe Byrne had been positive that she _did_ know; his traitor agent, Logan Clerk, had confirmed it.

As Alex and Sabina waited for the pedestrian crossing light to blink green, she turned to him. Only then did Alex realize that she'd been uncharacteristically silent too. "So, are you gonna tell me where you were last night?" Sabina finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh, last night," Alex hedged, fidgeting with his jacket, "I just went for a walk."

The light flashed green and they crossed the road. "Really? A walk? Because Dylan texted me last night, asking if I knew where you were," Sabina said. "He said you'd just disappeared from school."

"Did he now?" Alex mumbled, looking away. "I just took the back way of school. It wasn't really planned. For some reason, I forgot about him."

"_Uh-huh_. You're not that old, Alex. Memory loss is still a while away for you. Besides, you never take the back way out of school. It doesn't even lead to our house," Sabina pointed out. Alex could feel her gaze on him—they both knew he was lying. Part of him wondered why he wasn't telling Sabina about his meeting with Joe Byrne; after all, he certainly wanted to.

Alex looked at her. Sabina was glaring at him suspiciously. "Look, Sab, I overheard Jade talking to her dad on the way to my locker."

"Your locker?"

"Yeah, I went back because I'd forgotten my phone. Anyway, Jade had been talking with her dad about me."

"You? Why?"

"It sounded like he was asking her to do something, involving me, and she said no. I decided to take the longer route to the front gate to avoid her." It sounded silly as he said it.

Sabina paused, giving him a look that clearly said _boys_. "And that caused you to return home late and forget about Dylan?"

"You weren't there, Sab. It wouldn't have been so strange if Jade hadn't looked so shocked when she saw me there." Alex thought back to it. "She looked really mad. Something's up with her and her father. Something strange."

Sabina laughed. "Next, you're going to tell me that you think her father is like a super villain or something."

"No," Alex murmured, looking away again. Sabina's comment had been a little too close to the truth.

"Maybe she likes you," Sabina suggested reasonably. Alex thought he detected a slight edge to her tone. "Maybe she has a crush on you, and talked to her dad about it. Maybe, he's—I don't know—encouraging her to do something about it?"

"Maybe," Alex allowed, "But I doubt it."

"I don't. Alex, lots of girls fancy you." She grinned. "But they've got to get in line."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Sabina nudged him.

He shook his head. "But Jade doesn't seem the type to be so shy as to need encouragement from her father about "boy problems". Is she close to her father?"

"Since when are you so interested?" Sabina asked. Alex shrugged. Sabina sighed. "Jade actually never talks about her parents. She's always vague whenever you ask her about them. I know she has a younger brother, who's two. He tags along sometimes when we go shopping. There isn't anyone else to look after him; her dad works a lot and her mother died when she was young… That's pretty much all I know. Happy now?" Alex met Sabina's gaze thoughtfully. He decided to tell her the truth—he didn't want to do what Ian Rider had done, and lie about everything.

He told Sabina about the dog called Bon Bon, the CIA agent, Joe Byrne and his offer.

When Alex finished, Sabina stared at him. "I thought you said you didn't think Jade's father was a super villain?" she joked weakly.

"_I_ don't. The CIA do," Alex said truthfully.

Sabina groaned. "Jade didn't tell me any of this—her dad's a criminal? Her _father _is, um, evil? That's so… bizarre. And horrible." Sabina bit her lip. Alex saw the impact of his words; she wouldn't look at her friend in the same light again. He remembered the phrase _ignorance is bliss_. "I thought I knew her, but now that I think about it…I mean, I've never even been inside her house! And the CIA… Alex, what did you say to the CIA?" Sabina's eyes snapped to him. They were larger than usual. "What do you want to do? Are you going to help them?"

Alex frowned. "I said no. But Joe Byrne just told me to think about it. I don't know if it matters what I want to do."

Sabina rolled her eyes. "Alex, don't be silly! Of course it matters. I'll straighten them out in a minute if they give you any trouble."

Alex hid a smile. "You'll take on the CIA?"

"Of course! I have been talking self defence lessons. I can beat up anyone who gives us trouble."

Alex glanced at Sabina. "I don't remember you being this violent when we first met. I've obviously been a bad influence on you." He grinned.

Sabina snorted. "You wish. Oh, look, it's Dylan."

They'd arrived at school. Dylan hurried towards them. "Alex," he said immediately, looking annoyed, "where'd you go yesterday? I waited for half an hour. Plus, it started raining ten minutes after you left. I was drenched by the time I got home!"

"Sorry, I just—" Alex hesitated, hating this part, hating having to lie.

Sabina cut in. "He was chased by a dog."

Dylan looked blank. "Are you kidding me?"

Alex tried to look sombre. "No. I'm dead serious. A guy was walking this Rottweiler, and it got loose. It was up by the back gate. It ran after me and chased me all the way up Main Street."

Dylan nodded gradually, but he didn't look convinced. "Whatever, man." He decided to let it slide. "So how was Kerry's birthday?" He asked Sabina, still eyeing Alex warily. "Did she say anything about me?"

~o~

During lunch, Alex, Dylan, Matt, Sabina and Jade sat under a shady oak tree in the field. The sun burned down on them, and the shade of the tree was gratefully welcomed.

"Phew!" Sabina fanned herself with her hand. "It's so hot."

"I'll say," Jade agreed. "Although I'd rather be out in this heat than back in my science classroom—even if it does have air conditioning."

Matt nodded sourly. "Yeah, me and Jade have gotten this new science teacher. His name is Mr. Holmes and he's extremely strict. Makes me miss our old science teacher."

"I had him this morning, and he's not that bad. Face it, Matt," Dylan chuckled, "You don't get along with any teacher."

"Eh," Matt replied. "Normally I wouldn't argue, but even Jade hates him."

"Really, Jade?"

"It's something about the way he watches the class. He's like a hawk," Jade shrugged defensively. Alex wondered if the new teacher was the CIA agent. "Alex, Sabina, have you guys had him yet?"

"We don't have science on Thursdays," Sabina reminded her. "So, no, not yet. Though I am curious to see what he's like…" Alex had told her about CIA's plan to place an agent in the school.

"So, guys, you want some mars bar cake?" Jade asked. "I made some in food tech and there's just too much of it left."

"Yeah!" Matt's face lit up—he loved anything made with chocolate.

Jade grabbed a container out of her bag and handed everyone some slices. "Bon apatite," she said.

"Hmm, it's nice," Sabina said, after a bite. Matt agreed. Sabina had been politely cordial towards Jade all day, but Alex knew she was frustrated inside.

Just then a man stepped onto the field. Alex squinted at him. It was hard to make out his face from the distance, yet the man looked familiar… Wait a minute, wasn't that—?

"Hey, look, it's the new science teacher," Jade mumbled, catching sight of him too. "Mr. Eric Holmes." She frowned. "Is he coming over here?" But Mr. Holmes simply walked up to the trash can nearby and chucked away some paper.

Alex briefly met his gaze, before 'Eric Holmes' turned away and headed back towards the staff room. The glance had confirmed Alex's suspicions, but had left him more than a little confused.

"That's the new science teacher?" Sabina sounded disappointed. "He's not what I imagined him like." Sabina had probably been expecting someone who looked a little more like James Bond.

But Alex knew, firsthand, that their new science teacher was a tough man. The only question was; what was Eagle doing working for the CIA?

~o~

After school Alex was walking home with Sabina and Dylan. They were talking about something or the other; Alex wasn't paying attention.

Eagle, from K-unit, was at his school. Alex didn't know how to feel—cautious? Resentful? Angry? After all, Eagle and the rest of K-unit had made his brief stay, training with the SAS, hell. But Alex didn't feel anything but confused. How had Eagle, a British SAS member, ended up working with the CIA?

Alex glanced around absently, and froze.

"Alex?" Sabina slowed down.

"I'm fine," Alex said in a low voice, looking straight ahead. "Keep walking." Sabina and Dylan followed Alex, but they both knew something was wrong.

Alex peeked behind him. There—following them at a safe distance, behind another crowd of students from his school—were three men, dressed in dark colours, the majority of their faces hidden behind large sunglasses. The predatory way in which they walked gave them away. Alex knew instinctively that they were following him and his friends.

"Alex?" Sabina murmured again, "What's going on?"

Alex looked wearily at her and Dylan. "Don't look now, but I think we're being followed."

"What?" Dylan began to turn around but Alex stopped him.

"Don't let them know we're onto them," he warned. Something in his tone convinced Dylan to play along.

Alex, Sabina and Dylan turned around a corner, and the crowd from his school went the other way. There would be no one in between them and the dodgy looking men now. No witnesses, either. Alex sneaked a glance backwards, and saw the street was empty. He spun around slowly, alert. Had the men just disappeared? He could see no one, but they'd been there a second ago.

"Are you sure we're being tailed?" Dylan's voice came from behind Alex. He yawned. "I don't see anyone."

"Yeah, me either," Sabina said slowly. "Alex, where did you see—?"

There was a thump and Alex whirled around.

Quite a few metres away, blocking their path ahead, stood the three men who'd been following them. The men must have trespassed through one of the houses lining the street corner to ambush them.

Although none of the men were holding guns, Dylan was lying on the ground in a heap. Sabina gasped and knelt beside him. "There's still a pulse," she said, relieved. Her word's sounded strangely slurred.

"What happened?" Alex asked.

"I don't know. He just fell. But he's breathing and I don't see any injuries."

Glad that Dylan was alive, Alex turned back to the men. They held knives, but there was no weapon sticking out of Dylan. Had he just dropped to the ground, unconscious? The men seemed to be in no rush, they were ambling up to Alex slowly, as if they had all the time in the world.

"Stay back, Sabina." Alex stepped forward. Although he didn't want to risk it, there was no way he and Sabina could run away; Dylan's body would be too heavy a load to carry with them. Alex was just going to have to stand his ground.

He removed his bag from his shoulders and tensed, ready to fight. There were three of them, and only one of him. He'd faced worse odds. Alex tried to recall everything he had ever learned in karate.

One of the men broke free from the group and charged towards him, a knife glinting his hand. Alex ducked as the man swung at his head, and kicked out. His foot made contact with the man's groin. The man howled, toppling over like a domino. Alex couldn't risk him getting up again and joining the fight later, so Alex kicked his head for good measure.

_Well, that wasn't hard_, Alex thought, moving aside as another man lunged for him. This one was more careful, and Alex could tell immediately from his fighting stance that he knew martial arts. He smirked at Alex, looking forward to the brawl. "Jude was always stupid," the man spat at his fallen comrade. "But I'm not an idiot like him. Kid, you're going down." He lunged again and Alex moved to dodge, but he was too slow.

The man grabbed his waist and they both fell backwards. Alex's head smacked against the concrete and pain washed over him in waves. He yelled out as the man punched his stomach.

The man was pushing down on him, using his weight to force Alex to stay down. His face was right in front of Alex's, taunting him as he got ready to punch Alex again. "We're not meant to kill you," the man grunted. "But no one said we couldn't injure you. You'll be wishing you were—"

Alex didn't wait for him to finish—he'd heard it all before anyway. Alex smashed his head against the man's, causing the man to cry out in pain. The weight pressing down on Alex lessened, and it was all he needed.

Alex shoved the man off him, to the side, and rolled in the opposite direction, barely missing a knife thrown at the exact spot his leg had been resting moments before.

Alex got up, hands in front of him, ready to fight. Warm liquid dripped down his face and neck; he wiped it away. His hand came back red. Still, the adrenaline kept Alex from feeling any pain.

The man got up from the ground, and Alex was pleased to see he was hurt and angry. The angrier these men were, the more mistakes they would make.

The two men circled him, drawing out more knives. "Why bother fighting?" one mocked him. "You're just a schoolboy." _If I had a nickel_, Alex thought,_ for every time someone said I was just a flippin' schoolboy…_ "Alex Rider, you're coming with us, one way or another. Just give up. Your CIA buddies can't help you; your friends can't help you."

It was then Alex made a mistake. He glanced back at Dylan and Sabina. His eyes widened as he realized that Sabina was now slumped on the ground too. Like Dylan, no knife stuck out of her, which was a relief. But Alex had let down his guard, and every second counted.

By the time he turned around, Alex was just in time to see one of the men about to kick him. Alex ducked but the man's boot still caught the top of his head. He stumbled back and the man charged forward.

The last thing Alex saw was the man's fist, hovering so close in front of his face that he could see every hair on the man's hand. _Ew_, Alex thought, before the fist hit him. Briefly, he was in a world of pain. Then the darkness seeped in, and he was unconscious.


	5. Caleb Goterel

**CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

><p><span>Caleb Goterel<span>

ALEX SLOWLY REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS, FEELING dizzy. _Why are the walls spinning?_ He thought dazedly. His stomach was sore and there was a dull throbbing in his head.

Alex wondered where he was, and realized he didn't actually know. What had happened? He remembered finding out that Eagle was working for the CIA… he remembered walking home with Dylan and Sabina, and—that's right—there were men following them!

Immediately, Alex tried to stand up—but he couldn't. As the room stopped spinning, Alex began to take note of his surroundings. He was in a dark room. The only illumination came from a single lightbulb hanging above him, which wasn't doing much to brighten the room. The walls were made of cement, the floors of stone and there were no windows. Alex assumed he was in a cellar or basement. He was sitting on a chair, his hands bound behind the back of the chair, his ankles tied to it's legs. Thankfully, he wasn't gagged; a small bright spot in an otherwise drab situation.

Alex wondered where the men who'd attacked him were… he wondered where Sabina and Dylan were… He desperately wished he'd taken a few of Smither's gadgets with him that morning. No doubt they'd come in useful right about now.

He stilled, hearing footsteps. He couldn't turn his head around, but he was pretty sure there was a door behind him. His suspicions were confirmed when the creaking sounds of an opening door came, accompanied by disgruntled voices.

"He was 'sleep when I checked on 'im last," a voice was saying, "I dunno if he'd be awake yet."

"Eh," another voice grunted in reply. "The boss said to check on him, so we've got to check on him. After all, it's not really ours to question why." The voice turned weary. "He _is_ Alex Rider, a largely successful spy. Although between you and me, I don't see what all the fuss is about. We took him down easy enough."

"Yeah, he's a weakling," the first voice sniggered.

"For everyone but you, Jude," another voice cut in. It was cold and mocking. "The kid took _you_ down easy enough."

The men trudged in and slouched in front of Alex. Despite their conversation, they didn't look surprised to see him awake. "Finally wake up, didja?" asked the shortest of the lot. He had a muscly build and curly hair. " 'Bout time." Alex recognized him; he was the one that Alex had kicked in the groin.

"Who are you?" Alex demanded instantly. "Where am I?"

This seemed to amuse the tallest one, who leered at him. "I'm George. That's Jude," he nodded in the direction of the shortest man. Alex recognized George too. George was the one who had punched him in the stomach. Luckily, none of the men had hit his bullet wound. "And that's Tray. You're in the basement of an old abandoned bar."

Alex was a little surprised. He hadn't expected the men to co-operate so easily. _They don't expect you to leave here, _he realized, _at least, not alive_. He hoped he could prove them wrong. "That's just great; you know, the police will love to hear about this. I'll be sure to remember your names." Alex wasn't going to show his fear.

"That's some pretty smug talk coming out of your mouth, considering you're tied to a chair." The one called George mocked. "What, are you going to use your infamous spy skills and hop to the police station, chair and all?" Jude sniggered some more. He sounded like a drunken hyena.

Alex opened his mouth, ready with a snarky comeback of his own, when he remembered that there were more important things to talk about. "Where's Sabina?" he asked, glaring at his captors. "Where's Dylan? What did you do with them?"

George and Jude exchanged a confused look. "I think he means the boy and girl that were drugged," Tray spoke up.

"Oh, them," George snorted. "Who the hell cares about two dumb teens?"

"Where are they?" Alex yelled. The men talked as if Sabina and Dylan were dead. "What have you done with them—?"

George backhanded Alex across the face, nearly sending him and the chair backwards. "Let me tell you something, kid," George said, in a conspirational fashion. "Jude's dying to get some revenge for that nasty kick you gave him. I'm the only one stopping him; boss's orders. But I could always turn a blind eye and let Jude do what he wants. If I were you, I wouldn't give me any more reason to let him beat you up."

"Like he tried to do last time?" Alex retorted, ignoring the pain. He couldn't help himself. "Because that worked out _so_ well for him. I'm sure his nuts still remember." It was worth it to see Jude's embarrassed look, and George and Tray's shocked expressions. They obviously weren't used to their victims talking back.

For a minute, Alex thought he'd be hit again. In the end, George just scowled. "It didn't exactly work out so great for you either. Take a look around, schoolboy. Jude," he snapped, "Untie him." Grumbling, Jude roughly untied Alex's hands and feet. Alex stood up slowly, rubbing his sore wrists. There were angry red marks around them.

Tray had a gun ready in his hand, pointed at Alex's chest. Alex felt his old bullet wound throb in response. "I'm sure you know better than to try and fight," he reminded Alex. Alex nodded, keeping his face blank. Tray's hand was unnervingly steady.

"Good," George pushed Alex towards the door. "Now keep moving. I'll lead the way. You try and run, you even so much as look at the door leading out of the bar too long, and Tray will shoot," George growled at Alex. "Are we clear?"

"Where's Sabina and Dylan?" Alex tried again. He needed to know the other two were okay—he needed to know they weren't in trouble because of him.

George moved forward, his eyes deadly, towering over Alex. He gave Alex a shove backwards. "I'm only going to ask again once. Are we clear, _schoolboy_?"

Alex sighed. "Yes," he said shortly. He knew that there would be no point in arguing with George; the man was aggressive and clearly itching for a fight.

George smiled a truly feral smile. "That's what I thought."

Alex followed George out of the basement into a narrow stone corridor. He wondered how long he'd been knocked out for; his leg and arm muscles were sore from lack of use. Alex touched his forehead but found no specks of dried blood. That was odd. He remembered bleeding after his last fight with George and Tray… Now that Alex thought about it, besides the rope burns and the pounding headache, he was mostly fine. What exactly was going on? He didn't suppose George would be willing to explain it all.

The thug led him out of the corridor into what had to be the main bar. Wooden floors, stylish wallpaper and black tables were covered in a thick layer of dust. The place was obviously unused. However, in the middle of the room, a silver table stood. On it rested plates of fancy food and two glasses filled with an amber liquid. Two chairs were next to the table, both empty. The silver table and chairs, unlike the rest of the bar, were not coated in grime.

"Sit," ordered George. Alex sat. He didn't really have much of a choice.

There wasn't much light in the bar, since the windows were sealed shut. On the table, two lamps were shining brightly, but they couldn't penetrate the shadows that hung around the edge of the room. Alex, looking upon it all, was reminded of a horror movie set. He raised an eyebrow, feigning impatience. He couldn't let the thugs know how unsettled he was. "So all this, just to invite me over for dinner?"

"Precisely." A voice rang out over the room, loud, clear, confident. A man stepped out of the shadows, clutching a briefcase. He was dressed in a crisp suit that just reeked of money. His designer shoes made soft sounds on the dusty floor as he made his was across the room.

"You could have just asked," Alex muttered sarcastically.

"But then you might have misunderstood my intentions—you might have declined! No, this way was much better, because here we both are." The man beamed, taking the other seat. He set down his briefcase and leaned across the table, offering his hand. "You're probably wondering who I am. My name is Caleb Goterel." Caleb Goterel had dark hair with blonde highlights, light blue eyes and slightly tanned skin. He looked around his thirties. "Don't worry, I don't bite. It's perfectly safe to shake my hand." Caleb chuckled, as if Alex's wariness was the most amusing thing in the world. Gingerly, Alex shook his hand. Caleb nodded in approval. "So, you're Alex Rider. I've heard a lot about you. Though it may not come as a surprise to you, you're quite famous, both in the spy and criminal world." Alex kept his face carefully blank. "All those successful missions—my, how you've become a commodity! Why, I know all about you, and I've never even met you before!" Caleb chuckled again.

"That hardly seems fair, now does it?" Alex asked slyly, causing Caleb to pause mid-chuckle. "I don't spend my time stalking others, so _I_ know nothing about you."

Caleb smiled, but his eyes turned stormy. "I think you do," he said softly, his voice turning dangerous, "I think the CIA has filled you in."

Alex blinked. "You're not serious? The CIA?" He pretended to pause thoughtfully. "Isn't that the American secret service. Like, spies and stuff—"

"Alex, that's not how it goes," Caleb shook his head. "You don't need to pretend you haven't worked for MI6 in the past. I know about all that; I know you're working for the CIA right now."

"I'm not," Alex said truthfully.

_"Kids,"_ Caleb muttered to himself, rolling his eyes. He grabbed one of the glasses containing the amber liquid and took a sip, his eyes assessing Alex. "I'm not in the mood to play games, but I'm not stupid. I know you won't co-operate easily. Alex, you do have a reputation for being stubborn. That, and successful. These are qualities I have come to admire in you." Alex remained impassive. Caleb sighed. He gestured at the table. "Eat, drink—I think you'll find not many children are as lucky as to get offered Scotch everyday." Caleb pointed to a glass containing the brownish-yellow alcohol. "I will talk to George and his friends, see how you were when you woke up. Excuse me, will you?" Caleb rose, and strode to the thugs, who'd disappeared into the shadows around the room.

Alex gazed at the table, before deciding he didn't want any of the food on it. Who knew if Caleb had drugged it? The man was obviously psychotic, acting as if this was some social dinner. Then again, what villain hadn't dined with him? Alex looked around and noticed there were a set of doors leading out of the bar, barely visible through the gloom… he remembered what George had said about Tray shooting him if he stared at them too long. Still, they were his one shot at escape.

Caleb came back and sat down, a smile set on his face. "My men tell me something very interesting Alex." Caleb's smile widened to a grin. "They say you were asking about your friends earlier. I'll give away your friends location, if you admit to your past of spying. Do we have a deal?" Caleb looked like a cat that had just caught a bird.

Alex was trapped—there was really no choice at all. "Deal," he said, "If you release them too."

"Very well." Caleb looked amused. "But you'll find that isn't necessary. See how much better things are when we're not lying to each other?"

Alex had had enough of Caleb's games. "Where are Sabina and Dylan?" he repeated, for what felt like the zillionth time.

"Not so fast. First, I am going to ask you a question. Remember, we're not lying to each other anymore. You're a spy, right?"

"I have been a spy," Alex admitted. "Now what about Sabina and Dylan? Where are they?"

"Right at this very moment?" Caleb glanced at his watch lazily. It was a Rolex, glinting when it caught the light. "School."

Alex stared, disbelieving. "I thought you said we were being honest."

Caleb's eyes narrowed infinitesimally. "We are—_I_ am. I have no need for those friends of yours, and although I could have used them to blackmail you, I'd promised Jade I'd leave them out of it." Caleb leaned forward, hands clasped together. "I'm not interested in any of them. They were merely drugged and left to wake up on their own. They won't remember a thing about the fight it took to take you down. They'll just have a bad headache today. And I'd advise you not to call me a liar again."

Alex sighed internally. He was relieved; at least Sabina and Dylan were out of the whole mess. "How'd you drug them?"

"That's a topic for a later date," Caleb brushed Alex's question aside. "Although, you might like to know, you were meant to be drugged too. For some reason it seems you didn't take the drug, or you weren't affected by it, and that lead to a bit of rowdiness."

Alex took this in. "So why am I here?"

"Well, we'll find out, won't we?" Caleb's eyes glinted.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Caleb ignored him, getting up. "I got someone to take care of your injuries. Aren't you going to thank me? No? I'm not surprised; you teenager's are always unappreciative." Caleb motioned for Alex to get up too. "Follow me. If you try and run, you'll be shot. I'd really hate for that to happen, so please, don't do anything we'd both regret."

Alex got up and followed Caleb. Instead of heading back towards the basement, Caleb took Alex out a set of doors leading out of the bar. Fresh air and sunshine greeted them. Footsteps behind Alex told him the three thugs were accompanying them.

The area outside the bar was just a large square of concrete. It was fenced off; the fence was five metres tall and made of chain link. "Stand right there," Caleb pointed. Alex didn't budge. "Alex, if you don't move, Tray with shoot." Alex moved deliberately slowly. He glared at all the men. When he was standing in the middle of the concrete area Caleb grinned. "Great, great."

"Now what?" Alex said. The three thugs were moving around him, circling. Caleb moved back, until he was an inch away from the door to the bar.

"Now the real fun begins," Caleb smirked. "Alex, I must say, I'll be very surprised if you survive." With that, Caleb disappeared behind the doors.

~o~

None of it made any sense. Not the thugs that were circling him. Not the villain that had planned it all. Not even the part where Dylan and Sabina had been drugged, but some how he'd been unaffected.

Cursing his luck, Alex turned around to face the men circling him. Three-on-one. Alex knew the situation could be worse. There could have been more thugs, or no chance to escape; just a gun held to his head.

He moved slowly, trying to keep his eyes on all of them. Once again, Jude got impatient and lunged for him first. Instead of lashing out, Alex waited until the last second before stepping aside. Jude crashed into George, who'd been waiting behind Alex. George swore and shoved Jude away.

Tray was still circling, keeping his distance, gun securely in hand.

"Tray," George snarled, "Go already. You know the plan. We'll take care of the schoolboy."

Tray nodded and moved towards the bar doors. George and Jude closed in, tightening ranks. Suddenly they both rushed at him, in a single file.

Alex ducked past George and aimed a forward instep karate kick at Jude—one of the kicks he'd learned in his early years of karate. Jude tumbled down like a house of cards, leaving the path to Tray clear. Alex dashed towards the unsuspecting man, knowing that George would be on his trail.

"Hey! Tray—" George called out, realizing what Alex planned to do, but he was too late. Alex leaped onto Tray's back. Tray, startled, spun around, but Alex was still on his back. Tray's hand slipped and he accidentally fired his gun a few times. Alex stiffened as he heard the gunshots, afraid of getting hit. He heard someone shriek. Leaping back, off Tray, he saw George kneeling on the ground, blood gushing from his shoulder. Tray whirled around, turning on Alex.

For a second, Tray looked torn, deciding between killing Alex or helping his comrade. "You'll be sorry later, kid!" He glared at Alex, but turned back and ran to assist George.

Alex took this opportunity to run into the bar. Hopefully, Caleb would have left. There was no way he could climb the chain link fence, and there had to be another way out.

Alex entered the gloomy building, finding it empty and dusty. Grateful, he slunk into the shadows, edging his way around the room.

He found a door, leading to a flight of stairs. He hesitated. The stairs led up, not out, but Alex heard footsteps nearby. He had no choice. Shutting the door quietly behind him, Alex ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. The stairs seemed to go on forever, but at least Tray hadn't figured out where he had gone.

Alex wondered why a bar had so many stairs… It was one tall building. Eventually, the steps led to a metal door, which was locked. Alex rammed into it with his shoulder. The door made a loud screeching sound, but remained locked. Alex tried again, knowing that the sound must have alerted Tray to his whereabouts. Once again, nothing happened, although the door made another horrible noise, like nails scratching against a chalkboard. Alex thought he could hear faint footsteps getting louder. Alex tried again, and then again. On his fifth try the door broke open, and his momentum carried him forward.

Alex stumbled onto the roof of the bar, which was as flat as that of an apartment building. The view was disappointing. Many empty building surrounded this one, with signs warning citizens to KEEP AWAY: DANGER.

Alex's heart sank as he surveyed the roof; it was barren. There was nothing to use as a weapon, or to help him escape. He moved around the roof's edges, searching for anything; hopefully a fire escape. There wasn't anything like that, although the building opposite seemed to have a fire escape. All the bar had was a metal pipe, leading down to a small platform.

An idea formed in Alex's head. It was a big, sturdy pipe and he hoped it wouldn't come crashing down…

Alex began climbing down the pipe. He moved slowly, using the tiny metal structures holding it onto the building as footholds. He was halfway to the platform when he heard the slamming of a door. "Rider?" a voice yelled. "Come out, come out! I know you're up here!"

Alex moved a little faster. He missed his next foothold, and started sliding. Luckily the platform was just a meter below. Alex landed on it with a dull bang as his feet hit metal.

Shaking himself, he judged the distance to the fire escape. It wasn't too far, and he could climb the rest of the distance down. Now that he was this close, he noticed that the fire escape also had a small platform. It was smaller than the one he was on now, but with any luck, he'd be able to jump to it.

"There you are!" Alex glanced up, just in time to see Tray take aim. Alex flattened himself against the wall of the bar building just as a loud bang echoed. He was left staring at a small bullet hole in the metal platform, an inch away from his foot. A faint click told Alex that Tray was reloading his gun; he'd wasted a lot of bullets already. This was Alex's chance.

Not bothering to glance at Tray Alex ran and jumped. He grabbed the platform and rolled onto it, just as the sound of gunfire reached his ears. The platform he'd been standing on earlier was now full of holes. It resembled swiss cheese. His heart in his chest, Alex knew he couldn't risk climbing down the ladder. Tray would make short work of him.

He stood up, and saw with alarm that Tray was climbing down the pipe. Alex knew there was no way Tray would miss once he reached the metal platform. Alex would be barely a meter away.

Edging backwards, Alex felt his back press against glass... Glass!

He turned around and saw the while the bar building had no windows, this one did. There was no time to waste. Alex backed up and kicked the glass. Fortunately, due to years of disuse, the glass broke. Thousands of sharp shards fell in every direction, a few burying themselves in Alex's shoe. He had no time to worry about them—he slipped inside the building, with only a few minor scrapes.

The building was just as unused and as dark as the bar, although sunlight poured in through the broken window. It lit the way to the door, which Alex opened without too much trouble. He was out of the room just as Tray jumped from metal platform to platform

Alex then ran down the hallway.

He kept running; he ran out the building and sprinted down the street. This was Sans Francisco, not London, and although Alex didn't know his way around yet, he just kept heading east. A small part of him wondered why Tray hadn't given chase... maybe he was planning an ambush up ahead?

After a while, tired and gasping for air, Alex emerged in a busy part of the city, bustling with people and cars. He knew that this in no way assured he was safe; people had tired to kidnap him in busy crowds before. Still, Alex slowed down as he made his way to the pay-phone.

He quickly dialed a number.

After five rings, someone answered. "Hello, Elizabeth speaking," Sabina's mother picked up.

"Hi, it's—"

"Alex!" She sounded worried. "Where've you been?"

Alex didn't know where to begin, adrenaline and his escape making him almost giddy with relief. "It's a long story. Oh, and I need a ride home."


	6. Implications

**CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

><p><span>Implications<span>

IT WAS A HOT DAY, nice and sunny. The sky was a calm blue spotted with clouds that floated by lazily. Sabina Pleasure felt ill at ease and she didn't know why.

She was walking home with Dylan, fighting a killer headache, when he asked about Alex. "Sabina," his voice sounded strangely gruff, as if he'd been asleep all day. "I just realized Alex wasn't at school. Where was he?"

"Alex?" Sabina felt a like a blank canvas; for a second she didn't know what Dylan meant. _Alex is right here_, she thought automatically, but, of course, he wasn't. It was the third time that day Sabina had forgotten about Alex's mysterious disappearance. And for the third time that day she felt a rush of disappointment, followed by nagging doubts and worry that blossomed in her stomach… anxious—that was the word. She was anxious. But… why? Alex. Yes, that's right, she was worried because Alex was gone. "Oh, right. I don't know where Alex is, Dylan. Did you forget again?" she chastised, only feeling slightly hypocritical, "He wasn't there when we woke up yesterday." On any other day Sabina might have been surprised that it had taken Dylan so long to notice Alex's absence; but they had both been out of it all day.

"Right. When we woke up. On the ground. He was gone, and then we went home." Dylan stated the obvious. He'd been doing that all day, trying to recall yesterday afternoon's events, as if just by stating the facts everything would suddenly make sense. It was beginning to get on Sabina's nerves. Something was gnawing at her, something to do with Alex, and Dylan's jitteriness was doing nothing but making her more agitated.

_But why?_ Sabina thought for the hundredth time. _Why am I worried about Alex? Mum says he'll turn up at home eventually and it's not as if he's been kidnapped. _After Sabina had trudged home the night before, Alex hadn't been there, nor had he turned up in the morning.

Of course, a part of her worried that he'd gone back to the spy life, that he'd left for good. What if he got killed this time? Or if—

"Sabina," Dylan tried again, sounding uncertain, "I'm not sure if this really happened, or if it was a dream or something, but did Alex get chased by a dog recently?"

"What?" It took Sabina a second to respond. "Did you just ask what I think you asked?"

"Well," Dylan said defensively, "I know it sounds stupid, but I have the vaguest memory of you and Alex trying to convince me a dog chased him up Main. 'Course, I didn't believe you guys, in my memory or dream, that is, but I'm not sure if… "

Sabina grinned despite herself. "That most definitely did _not _happen. Alex, chased by a dog? You have some, err, _interesting _dreams, I'll say that much."

"Whatever. I was just wondering, that's all." But now that he mentioned it, Sabina felt as if that she'd had that dream too. She could even picture Dylan's disbelieving expression as he surveyed her and Alex, looking unimpressed with their lie… Wait, that made no sense. Why would she and Alex make up a lie like that?

Sabina shook her head, trying, in vain, to clear it. She felt sluggish and forgetful and she knew something was wrong with _herself_, but couldn't put her finger on it. "Oh, well, there's my place." Dylan paused, staring at his house. He hesitated.

"Yeah?" Sabina prompted. She resisted the urge to impatiently tap her foot. She wanted to go home and check that Alex was there.

"Nothing," Dylan shrugged. "Bye."

"Bye," Sabina nodded. "See you tomorrow."

Dylan headed towards his house and Sabina practically ran to her own. She grabbed her keys from her bag and opened the door, the sun burning on her back. The door clicked as it unlocked, and Sabina burst inside her house. The hallway was empty, but she heard voices coming from the living room. She heard the deep voice of her dad, her mother's worried questions and could pick up a third voice. Alex?

Sabina walked into the living room, and when she saw him, sitting on the couch, she relaxed. Her relief didn't last long; Sabina took in his appearance and frowned. His foot was wrapped in a bandage, already stained with red spots, and his face sported purple and blue bruises around his left eye and cheek. Sabina was torn between anger—who had done that to him? Why had he just left without saying anything?—and jubilance; she had been worried about him and he was okay. Well, sort of okay.

"Sabina—" her father began, but Sabina cut him off.

"Alex!" Sabina was still unsure how to feel. Alex smiled feebly. "I'm glad you're okay! I mean, I was worried, but…" She eyed him, "What happened?"

"Sabina," her mother chided mildly, but her tone carried a serious edge, "Alex needs to rest. He's been through a lot."

Sabina ignored her mum. She glanced at Alex. Despite his smile, his eyes looked very solemn. Her own eyes narrowed. "Where'd you go? You could've told me you planned to stay out all night—and if you were gone because of something to do with MI6, you still could've told me; I would have joined you!"

"Sabina!" Her father sounded startled. "You're joking, right? You're too young to be a spy—you both are!"

"Relax, Edward," her mother assured, "She's only kidding. Tell him, Sabina," she added.

"Yes, sure, I'm kidding," Sabina lied, just to brush their concern aside. For another moment, she forgot why she was in her living room, all worked up. Then she met his brown eyes and remembered. "Oh, right. Alex. Where were you? Spill everything."

~o~

"Oh, right." Sabina sounded unsure. She was staring at Alex intently, and he got the feeling that she was trying to recall something. "Alex. Where were you? Spill everything." She looked groggy, her eyes wider than usual. Alex remembered what Caleb had told him—_your friends were merely drugged and left to wake up on their own. They won't remember a thing about the fight it took to take you down. They'll just have a bad headache today. _

Judging from Sabina's expression, Alex assumed that she had more than just a bad headache. Liz and Edward Pleasure exchanged worried looks. Alex opened his mouth to tell her what had happened, just as he had told her parents, but instead he yawned.

"See, Sabina," her mother moved towards the coat-rack. "Alex is tired. You need to let him rest. I think we should go to the hospital—"

"Why?" Sabina shook her head. "Right now I want to hear what happened to—"

Alex stood up, putting most of his pressure on his uninjured foot. "Sab, go to the hospital. I'll come too."

Liz shook her head, her tone firm. "You're not exactly in the best health either. No, Edward, you stay and look after Alex," Liz turned to her husband, who nodded, then to Sabina. "You, miss, are coming with me. You've been drugged." Sabina's eyes grew wider. "Yes, I'm serious. Clearly it's having a horrible affect on you; look how haggard you look!"

"Thanks, mum," Sabina muttered sarcastically, but she sounded a little doubtful.

"Alex explained it to us. Yesterday you woke up on the ground, feeling woozy. Sabina, honey, I'm afraid that someone drugged both you and Dylan."

"But—" Sabine looked even more puzzled.

"You'll be fine," Liz assured, "But I want you to be checked out in a hospital just in case."

"But—"

"No buts. This is final." Liz put her hand on Sabina's shoulders, steering her towards the door. "Grab a coat if you want, but otherwise we should get going. I'll explain everything in the car."

"No. Wait. That doesn't… oh, all right." Sabina sighed, giving in. "I'll just change out of my p.e clothes first. Quickly," she added, catching sight of her mother's expression. Sabina gave Alex one last look, then headed to her room.

Alex waited for her footsteps to disappear, before turning to Liz and Edward. "How do you feel?" they asked simultaneously.

"I'm fine, really," Alex replied.

"Maybe we should take him for another check up?" Liz bit her lip, glancing at Edward.

"No, honey, we've already taken him to see Dr. Rayne." Edward squeezed her shoulder.

"I know, but what if they overlooked something?"

"I'm okay, just a little shaken," Alex insisted, "you don't need to worry."

"Alex," Liz laughed, looked a little shaken herself, "You're a teenager. I always have to worry." Alex was glad that they thought of him as family, but he also felt guilty. If he wasn't so much of a spy, Liz and Edward would be less worried people. "Alex, don't you feel sorry for your behavior," Liz added, seeming to read his mind. "It's not your fault these criminal people, and the CIA for that matter, can't seem to leave you alone. After all, you've saved Edward's life so many times now…" She trailed off. She had handled the news about Alex's career as a spy with great bravado, although she was looking at him a little differently.

Then again, Alex hadn't told them everything. He'd said that the CIA had wanted to use him on a mission, and that he'd turned them down. He'd also explained about Caleb Goterel, but he'd left out some details here and there, like the gun in Tray's hand…

"Alex, why don't you go lie down?" Edward suggested. "After all, the doctor said you need some bed rest, at least for today."

Alex nodded. "Sure." Truthfully, he was exhausted. He moved up the stairs, towards his room. He collapsed onto his bed, yawning and stretching.

Edward had picked him up and brought him home from the city. Both he and Liz had been worried once Alex had told them what had happened—Alex's version of it, anyway. They had insisted he go to the hospital, and then once Alex was all checked up, insisted he rest at home.

And then there was Sabina. That drug seemed to confuse her. Alex thought back to yesterday. Before the men had started following them, before he'd even seen Eagle at school. Dylan and Sabina had to have either drank or eaten something drugged to end up the way they had. Alex remembered Caleb saying that he'd been meant to be drugged too. So what had they _all_ eaten that day, that Alex had missed out on? It was then he remembered the cake.

Jade had offered them some mars bar cake… Alex had been so busy wondering about Eagle that he hadn't eaten his slice. He was pretty sure he'd given it to Matt when the bell had rung, too distracted to be hungry. Plus Jade was Caleb's daughter. Alex felt sick—he'd assumed Jade had nothing to do with the criminal life. But she'd tried to drug him, and she _had _drugged Dylan, Sabina, and, hell, probably Matt.

Alex stood up. He wasn't tired any more. He headed down the corridor, spotting Sabina just about to climb down the stairs. "Sabina," he called. She turned around. "Was Matt at school today?"

"Matt?" Sabina's brow furrowed in concentration. "Yes. He was just as … forgetful as me and Dylan…" Her eyes widened in understanding. "You don't think—?"

Alex nodded briskly. "Yes, I do think he was drugged too. What about Jade, where was she?"

Sabina shrugged. "She wasn't at school today, at least, not for very long. Someone picked her up around first break."

Alex assumed that was around about the time he'd ran away from Goterel. "All right. I'm sorry you got drugged."

"It's not your fault, so you shouldn't waste your breath apologizing. Besides, that's only a small part of what happened yesterday. Yeah, I can tell something worse happened to you. I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were."

"Alex, what's going on?" Sabina turned to face him fully, hands on hips.

"Sabina!" Liz's voice floated up from downstairs. "Hurry up!"

Alex flicked his eyes towards the stairs. "Your mum will explain it to you."

Sabina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. When I get back I want to hear your version—something tells me it's going to be more shocking." With that Sabina headed downstairs.

Alex watched her go, his mind racing. He had to let the CIA know what had happened, hadn't he? But first, Alex made his way back to his room. Digging through his wardrobe, he emerged holding a shoebox. It was the one Joe Byrne had sent him, stuffed with Smither's gadgets. _Just in case_, Alex thought grimly.

~o~

Caleb stared at the three men gathered before him. Tray was the only one who was injured; the other two sported injuries that ranged from a sore groin to a wounded arm. Caleb squinted at the three men, appraising them for all they were worth. He didn't even try to hide his anger. The men were cowering; George and Jude were sweating. Caleb spat at them, not impressed in the least.

"You imbeciles!" Caleb yelled, after a few tense minutes of watching them squirm. Jude whimpered. "I told you not to underestimate him, didn't I? I said to test Alex Rider, and what did you do?" None of the men made eye contact and their heads hung in shame. It wasn't good enough for Caleb. "I said, WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Nothing," George said, his voice unusually low.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch it," Caleb said coldly, his voice quietly dangerous.

"We did nothing, sir," George repeated, louder.

"That's right. You. Did. NOTHING." Caleb paused, letting his words sink in. "You see, not only was your "assault" the most uncoordinated thing I've ever seen, but you let Alex Rider escape! That's downright astonishing."

"He was just a boy," Jude moaned, looking afraid, "Just a schoolboy. We didn't think—"

"That's exactly right. You _didn't_ think," Caleb interrupted sharply. He glanced at his watch. "I have a meeting to attend, but I think you all know how disappointed I am. An average schoolboy could have escaped your attempted attack, much less Alex Rider. I told you he's an extremely successful spy, and did you listen?" He glared at the men. "DID YOU LISTEN?"

"No," Jude whimpered once more.

"I told you he's trained with the SAS, that he's skilled in karate. I even hired you, George, an internationally skilled Judo champion and warned you _not _to go easy on him. Did you listen?" Caleb demanded.

"No," George gulped.

"I told you guys to attack him the same way you'd attack anyone from the CIA. I even gave you the option of torturing him—I told you to do whatever would allow me to see his true potential. Did you listen?"

"No," Tray muttered.

"No, no, no," Caleb agreed. "You did not, and for that, I assure you, you'll pay." Caleb moved towards the door leading out of the disused bar. The very same bar these bastard's had allowed Alex Rider to escape from. "I've decided that he is as skilled as he was in the past, although he may need to brush up on his moves a little. But there are… schools… that train people like him. That group SCORPIA used to have one. As for you three," Caleb paused, glaring at the three men he'd hired. They stood in the middle of the gloomy bar. They were miserable excuses for men. Caleb smiled an icy, cold smile, while opening his briefcase and bringing out a remote. Caleb set his briefcase on the ground. Tray blinked in confusion. "I don't think I need to tell you all you're fired. It should be pretty self-explanatory."

"We're fired?" Jude looked aghast. "I need the money, and besides, it was just one mistake! I don't understand…"

Caleb ignored Jude and exited the building. He locked the door behind him. A few hours earlier, after Alex's escape, he'd made sure all the windows and other exits were sealed shut too.

He began walking towards his car, parked a few metres away. Once he reached it, he turned back to the bar. He pressed a button on the remote control and watched happily as the building burst apart with a loud bang. Wood and dust flew in all directions; Caleb quickly ducked behind his car, avoiding the worst of it. He turned back in time to watch flames lick the abandoned bar, the glow from the fire eerily lighting up his face. Caleb smiled, knowing that three bodies were burning inside… "That should help clarify things."

* * *

><p><em>[Note] Get it? They were fired, literally-building went up in flames. <em>

_ So, yeah, there it is. Chapter 5. It's a little short, but the next chapter will be pretty long. Ish. Anyway, if I get at least seven reviews, I'll update real quick. _


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